5 times Vince McMahon saved the careers of his rivals
Around four decades ago, Vince McMahon bought off WWE from his father and turned professional wrestling into a global phenomenon. His ultimate goal was to reach the top of the pro-wrestling mountain, and he did the same by toppling every territory that came in his way.
Over the course of several decades, Vince McMahon made lots of friends, but more enemies than one can count. His ruthless mannerisms led to WWE becoming the biggest wrestling corporation in the world, but it came with a price. McMahon's relations with several wrestling personalities deteriorated along the way, as WWE continued to rise to the top of the food chain.
When all was said and done, McMahon was the only one left at the top. At this point, he could've enjoyed watching his rivals fade into oblivion, but expanding the business has always been Vince McMahon's first priority. In an attempt to do the same, McMahon went out of his way and brought back several people whom he once shared a heated rivalry with.
Let's take a look at five wrestling personalities whose careers were saved by Vince McMahon.
Also read: 5 moments that made Vince McMahon the most hated heel of all time
#5 Paul Heyman
In addition to WWE and WCW, ECW was a silent competitor during The Attitude Era and had its own hardcore fan base.
It's no secret that WWE funded Paul Heyman's ECW back during the Monday Night Wars. This led to ECW Superstars appearing on WWE shows, and vice versa. Additionally, Vince McMahon had loaned around US$500,000 to Paul Heyman, to help with the cost of operations.
ECW died eventually and was bought off by McMahon, but Heyman never managed to pay off the loan. This didn't stop McMahon from immediately hiring Heyman after ECW folded. Vince knew that a mind of the stature of Heyman's would certainly come in handy in WWE, and he didn't regret his decision one bit.